Process for the manufacture of vinegar.



%TATE% PATEN FFTGEO HENRI BOULARD, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VINEGAR.

No Drawing.

To all whom it mag concern: 7

Be it known that I, HENRI BOULARD, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, in the said Republic, have invented a new Process for the Manufacture of Vinegar, of which the following is a specification.

The myccderm, the application of which on a commercial scale permits or" carrying out the new process of manufacture of vinegarforming the object of this invention, has been discovered by the present inventor in Far-East countries, where it exists in large quantities. It has been isolated and cultivated by him and called lllycoderma acetz' Asz'cticus Boulard No. 2.

This mycoderm is of frequent occurrence in the EanEast in mediums capable of being acetified, such asalcoholic liquids, wines and sweet uices. For isolating it, any one of the technical bacteriological methods may be employed. For example, one might take a sample of a liquid in course of acetification which is believed to contain the new mycoderm. Starting with a small quantity of this sample (for example, 1 cubic centimeter), the liquid is diluted with, say, 2 liters (of sterilized water. It should be determined experimentally, what must be the extent, 'to which the solution must be diluted (and it may :be even to a greater extent than 1/2000, as has just been indicated byway of example) in order that each drop of sterilized water in the diluted solution contains no more than one microbe or living germ, or indeed any microbe whatever. By placing the drops of this diluted liquid on to solid sterilized mediums, pure cultures of the different microbes are obtained, and in particular of the 'mycoderms among which the new 'mycoderm, the properties of which are described in the presentspecification, is to be found. Samples of various liquids in course of acetification are again taken and treated in the way just described until the mycoderm in question is found among the pure colonies employed, which are obtained on a solid :medium.

Of,course,.the samples in course of-aceti fication must be procured from the regions where -;t;he -my c0 d,erm F-Ace-tz' Asz'aticus Boulard .No. ,3" occurs in "the n tural ta e- ;as -:a matter bf i ast ithe "se men-ita a eaiq Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 28, 191,4.

llatented Dec, 1L4, 1915.

Serial No. 847,474.

this species is limited to certain regions, as is the case with all known species. It is found especially in the Tonkin delta, in the middle region of Tonkin, in Cochin-China and in (leylon.

The pure cultures of the mycoderm may be preserved in suitable vessels, which have previously been sterilized and which are inoculated successively. The liquid in the vessel should contain the nutritive materials and its acidity as regards acetic acid should preferably not be greater than 20 grams per liter. This mycoderm which is very robust is analogous as re ards its shape to the rllg coder-ma acezfi described by Pasteur, but differs from the latter in the following respects:

1. It is larger than the normal Mycoclerma cacti; the difference in size may vary in the ratio from one to two.

2. Examined under the microscope, these organisms do not appear to be connected chain-like as in the case with the .mycoderms at present known. They appeareither in compact masses when they are numerous, or as isolated and independent organisms like yeasts, if the preparation is not very rich in mycoderms.

The chain-like connection of the mycodenmatipresent utilized causes at the surface of the casks (or of the wood shavings) employed in the manufacture, the formation of viscous masses consisting of chain-like connected mycoderms, which masses are called mothers of vinegar. )Vhen the mother is destroyed by immersion, by shaking the cask or by diseases, the acetification stops or is greatly retarded.

On the contrary with the iL g coclcrmaacazfi Asz'atz'cus Boulard No. 2, it is possible to destroy the mothers, to shake violently the culture flasks for instance or to move the casks without stopping the acetification. The acetification curve is scarcely affected by the destruction or immersion of the mother.

The application on a,commercial scale of this mycoderm to the manufacture of vinegar is carried out as follows: First of all a certain quantity of vinegar is obtained by cultivating in pure .culture .the .mycoderm nnder consideration in a flaskcontaining an .al chali liquid rich extract ve matter for instance a malt liquid or wort obtained in the manufacture of alcohol from corn after saccharification of the starch and fermentation of the sugar. By doubling the volumes of the product from this first culture, the required quantity of vinegar will beobtained for the preparation of the surfaces on which alcoholic liquids to be acetified are caused to run. These surfaces are composed of frames to which are secured half-round sticks of green bamboo-cane, for

increasing their area. These frames are pre-.

pared for the work which they have to perform by causing the vinegar obtained as specified in the foregoing, to run on them in thin layers for forty-eight hours. In consequence of this treatment, the sticks of bamboo-cane are quickly covered with a thin layer of mvcoderms which are used to acetify the alcoholic liquors which it is desired to treat. In order to obtain a satisfactory result, the liquid to be treated should be allowed to run slowly on a succession of frames prepared as already described, this operation being carried out at the temperature of 35 centigrade. In this way it is possible to obtain excellent results in a continuous manner, whereas when shavings of beech Wood are applied to this new mycoderm, the result obtained is very poor probably because the mycoderm grows very badly on such a substratum. It is also important in order to obtain a good result, that the liquid to be acetified should be rich in extractive matters of vegetable nitrogenous materials. The mycoderm in question is in fact very active and robust, but it is also very exacting as regards nutritive matters and could not give any results if used for the acetification of alcoholic liquids that are poor in nutritive matters as is done at present with the Mycoclcrma acetz' used in the manufacture of vine gar from alcohol. On the other hand it is necessary that the liquid to be acetified should contain a few grams of reducing sugars (glucose, dextrose, etc.) per liter; and such sugars are of course to be found in brewers worts. If it is desired to acetify a simple mixture of alcohol and water, a small quantity of grain wort or glucose should be added so that the liquid will contain reducing sugars.

Apart from the application of the process with frames of bambo it is also possible with this new mycoderm to effect the acetification in casks of more or less large dimensions as is usual in the processes now employed, and while it is necessary that the liquid in the casks which it is intended to convert into vinegar should present a sufficiently large surface to aeration. this surface nevertheless should be such that it does not cause the temperature at the surface of the liquid to fall below 35 Centigrade. This means that the aeration must be considerably less than in the processes at present in use. It is also of importance that the circumambient temperature should be kept at about 33 centigrade.

In order to start the acetification in casks, a certain quantity of vinegar is first prepared by cultivating the mycoderm in a pure culture in a flask as hereinbefore described. In this manner a certain amount of vinegar is obtained, which amount for the sake of illustration may be stated as 100 liters of vinegar. These 100 liters of vinegar are placed in a cask, preferably a cask adapted to hold about 225 to 250 liters. Larger casks, for instance, casks containing 500 liters and more may, however, be used if desired. 100 liters of a liquid sufliciently rich in extractive matters, for instance corn wort are added to the liquid in the cask, thereby making 200 liters of liquid in this cask the total volume of which is 225 to 250 liters. This cask is placed upon one side'so that its large axis lies horizontally. It should have a round opening of about 8 cms. in diameter in the upper portion of one of its ends, and also another opening in its side, both these openings'being above the level of the liquid. If the liquid is contained in a cask of the specified dimensions the surface of the liquid open to aeration is sufficient to obtain a good result. Under these circumstances the 100 liters of wort which have been added are converted into vinegar Within 12 to 14 days.

Supposing for example that the acidity of the first 100 liters of vinegar which have been placed in the cask is grams per liter, the 100 liters of wort which are added are of very small acidity, for instanceQ, grams per liter. the total mixture 200 liters of liquids having therefore an acidity of about 40 grams per liter. If the acidity is measured every day, it will be found that it increases rapidly in such a manner that at the end of 12 to 14 days the acid of the whole mixture is 80 grams per liter. 100 liters of vinegar may then be removed from the cask and may be either sold or put into another cask.

The process of manufacture of the vinegar in casks differs from that in which frames of bamboo are employed inasmuch as, in the latter case (which is analogous to the known process with beech-wood shavings employed in France and Germany) the manfuacture can be made continuous, whereas, on the contrary, with the cask process, each cask yields per day a definite number of liters and the process is thus a discontinuous one.

The process forming the object of the present invention has over those hitherto known the following advantages:

1. It is much more rapid. A cask of 225 liters capacity, containing an alcoholic liquor with a percentage-of alcohol from 8 to 10 per cent., will furnish daily 7, 10, and even 15 liters of vinegar with an acidity of 85 grams per liter if the new process is carried out under the above named conditions. With the processes at present in use, the same cask cannot furnish more than 10 liters or thereabout per week.

2. It is much more powerful and is not attended by contingencies, risks and diseases which frequently hinder the manufacture in accordance with the processes hitherto in use. The starting of the operation of the casks is always successful and there are no stoppages in the manufacture. The destruction by immersion or otherwise of the mothers of vinegar, the shaking of the casks do not arrest the fermentation as is the case with the processes hitherto in use. At most, a somewhat less active acetification may be observed for a few days.

3. If the process is carried out as stated in the description of the process, Vinegars are obtained from alcohol which have a marked aroma and all the characteristics of the Vinegars obtained from wine. The net cost of these Vinegars is very low owing to the rapidity, ease and regularity of their manufacture.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

A process for the manufacture of vinegar, said process consisting in cultivating pure cultures of Mycoderma acctz' Asiatz'cus Boulard No. 2 in flasks containing an alcoholic liquid rich in extractive matters of vegetable nitrogenous materials; maintaining said liquid rich in said extractive matters and with a few grams of reducing sugars per liter; continuously running the liquid thus provided over surfaces; and maintaining the running liquid at about 35 C.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRI BOULARD.

Witnesses:

JULns FAYoLLE'r, LUCIEN BENDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

